Trinidad's Persad-Bissessar urges unity, resilience in Independence Day message

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has paid tribute to the generations of Trinidad and Tobago citizens who endured poverty and hardship to build better lives for their descendants, as the country marks its 64th anniversary of independence.

In an Independence Day message addressed specifically to supporters of the United National Congress (UNC), Persad-Bissessar reflected on the sacrifices made by previous generations while urging supporters to continue pursuing education, entrepreneurship and economic advancement.

“Today we acknowledge our mothers and fathers, grandparents and great-grandparents, and the suffering they endured in the lagoons, cane fields, and oilfields to give us a fighting chance pre- and post-independence,” Persad-Bissessar said.

Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Britain on Aug. 31, 1962.

Persad-Bissessar recalled the difficult circumstances faced by many families in the decades surrounding independence, including limited access to health care, transportation, electricity and other government services.

She said some families survived on as little as one meal a day while making sacrifices to ensure their children received an education.

“They fetched water in box carts and bull carts, used flambeaus for light, had no healthcare, possessed one outfit of clothes for going out, and usually had to walk or ride a bicycle for miles in the sun or rain to reach any government service,” she said.

The prime minister said those sacrifices helped successive generations secure a stronger place in Trinidad and Tobago society and urged UNC supporters to continue that progress for their children.

“We must keep working for our sons and daughters to qualify themselves to have better lives than ours. We must never stop learning, working and improving,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar also encouraged citizens to pursue business ownership and entrepreneurship rather than rely solely on employment or government assistance.

“You must strive to be owners and entrepreneurs, not simply satisfied with being workers or living on state welfare,” she said.

The UNC leader also called for greater love and solidarity within communities, saying people should resist becoming bitter despite the challenges they face.

“Greet the day with love, for it is the most valuable key to success. Never allow your heart to become small and bitter; rather, share it, and it will grow and warm everyone and everything around you,” she said.

However, Persad-Bissessar also struck a combative political tone, telling supporters that while they should embrace love, they should not allow themselves to be mistreated.

“While I encourage you to live with love in your heart, I also say do not crawl on your belly for anyone. It's either peace or total war, nothing in between,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar described the UNC as more than a political party, calling it “a belief system rooted in the spirit of resistance, freedom, equality, justice, unity, hope, and faith.”

She argued that the party's leadership must remain strong and willing to defend its membership, saying “finesse and diplomacy must be backed up with steeliness and savagery when required.”

Persad-Bissessar also used the message to criticize the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), accusing it of having been “hijacked by the local drug mafia and the fake eat-a-food elite.”

She closed by reaffirming her commitment to the UNC and the country.

“I am honoured to be your leader, and I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure your voices are heard and our nation moves in the right direction,” Persad-Bissessar said.

Trinidad and Tobago is celebrating its 64th anniversary of independence on Monday.